Drivers urged to be aware of motorcycles

A motorcycle riders rights organisation has given its support to a road safety cammpaign aimed at cutting the accident toll involving bikers.

The roads around Driffield are a summer time magnet for motorcyclists, who make up only one percent of traffic yet are involved in 21 percent of crashes which involve death or injury.

Jolyon Lawson ps1115-14'Standing for Town Councill'Jolyon Lawson

Now drivers across the Humber region are being urged to look out for motorcyclists as the latest phase of Safer Roads Humber’s Someone’s Son road safety campaign gets underway.

A new burst of radio adverts encourages motorists to drive considerately towards motorcyclists and to take extra care around junctions and roundabouts. Whilst adverts on the back of buses remind drivers to give not just motorbikes but also pedal cyclist’s room on the road.

Mr Jolyon Lawson, of Driffield, media officer for the East Yorkshire branch of the Motorcycle Action Group, said he supported the campaign wholeheartedly.

“Motorcyclists make up a percentage of road users and along with cyclists are very vulnerable.

“We do not have a bump, we have a crash, usually resulting in injury.”

Mr Lawson said all road users should be more aware of each other.

Ruth Gore, spokesperson for Safer Roads Humber, said: “There’s a clear issue around drivers seeing riders in traffic and we hope this campaign will encourage drivers to look out for bikes and reduce the number of crashes.

“We recognise it’s not just about the driver though, riders need to make sure they give drivers a chance to see them by riding in a safe manner and wearing high-visibility clothing.

“There are some aspects of rider behaviour that drivers don’t understand and the same is true about how some riders perceive the behaviour of drivers. Riders and drivers can download free guides from our website www.someones-son.co.uk to clear up some of the misconceptions these two road user groups have about one another.

“Through this campaign we are hoping to remind drivers that riders are people just like them, trying to get to their destination safely. Our overriding message is to drive and ride safely and keep looking out for each other.”

A key part of the campaign is highlighting that riders are not unidentifiable humans hidden away under a crash helmet and riding gear but are people with family and friends.”

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